A popular and long lasting Newquay band, featuring the Fallis brothers, Chris and Cecil. Cecil was the musician of the family, displaying a talent for music at a young age. As he got older like many at the time he decided to move to guitar and sent away by post for a guitar course.
He quickly picked up the instrument and was soon playing together with his school fiends, Terry Hocking and Tony Pearce. The trio would regulary get together at Cecil's house to practice. All were about 15 at the time and had limited funds, which meant Terry borrowing their mother's backing tray and knitting needles to creat a make shift drum kit!
The trio got better and called themselves The Vikings. By now they had better kit and Terry had his own drum set, with a viking warrior painted on the bass drum. They needed a singer and Cecil asked his younger brother Chris if he would like to try out. With Chris in the band they changed their name to Chris Dane and The Viking, with Chris chosing a stage name fitting with the nordic theme.
The brothers father was also musical and played piano. He helped secure them their first gig at the British Legion in Newquay, around 1962/3. At it's original location in Gover Lane the British Legion, warned their father, had an older crowd that were not used to hearing the pop hits of the day. He taught them some of the standards they were used to hearing, so they would start their set with familiar songs before playing some of the poppier chart material.
Soon they were playing around the Newquay area, in particular St Columb Minor Village Hall for the youth club. They focused very much on playing the pop hits, like The Beatles and Searchers.
With so many hits available in such a vibrant time for pop music the band had a big repertoire of songs, learning new hits each week.
They were regular performers in the many hotels around Newquay. At the time the hotel trade was thriving, with all the big hotels jammed packed during the summer so there was no shortage of summer work. Regular venues were The Edgcumbe, Bella Vista and St Rumons (now The Esplande) which featured the Mirror Ball Club.
The band also played at Tall Tree and once at Blue Lagoon, altough they struggling to fill the venue with their sound. They also played venues such as the Rainbow Rooms in St Blazey, alongside Frank Yonko.
As the 60s progressed a name change was in order and they became the Chris Dane Sound and later the Chris Dane Combo. Band members also changed in the mid-60s and by 1965 they were performing a residency at the St Rumons as a three piece (Chris, Terry and Cecil). After one show they were approached by somebody who told them they could do with a bass player, and he was just the man they needed. Brendan Joyce then joined the band. The same thing happened no long after, with John Clemens telling them they needed a wind instrument. Soon they were performing as a 5 piece. (the picture above was taken at the hotel, with Chris, Brendan, Cecil, Terry and John).
They would continue playing the hotel and club circuit for several years and went through a number of different personel, including Malcolm and Graham Rushton.
In the late 60s they played the RAF Culdrose summer ball, alongside many national bands however the gig came to an sudden halt when a power cut hit the site mid-song and nobody could perform, except for a Jamacian steel band who played by candle light!
By the 1972 they had a summer residency at The Beachcroft Hotel and called it a day not long afterwards.
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